It's (Still) Unanimous: Eddie Murphy is the Greatest SNL Cast Member of All Time
It's not the younger generation's fault they don't know how far back SNL goes.
There was a debate on Twitter last night - or, we should say, an attempt at a debate - started by one user who asked a very simple question: Who is the best Saturday Night Live cast member of all time?
Who is the best SNL cast member of all time?
— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) January 16, 2022
As one of the longest-running television programs of all time - SNL first aired in 1975 - this seems on the surface like it would make for a lively and interesting debate. However, for hardcore fans, this question was so much of a no-brainer it was almost an insult: Eddie Murphy was the clear choice.
Eddie Murphy literally saved SNL from cancelation.
— B MAD 730 (@Bmad730) January 16, 2022
He was NINETEEN.
He hosted when he was STILL a Repertory Player.
He is the most successful cast member.
Go check the stats. Ain't no other answer. https://t.co/zN61IHnNV0 pic.twitter.com/WV3tNmtlBe
The correct answer is: Eddie Murphy. pic.twitter.com/SvjLw1d5H3
— Mkay (@JoyAnnReid) January 17, 2022
As an elementary school kid, I would stay up at 1130pm to watch Eddie Murphy play Gumby, James Brown and Buckwheat. pic.twitter.com/HgQ6uh10Bp
— phillyfunk (@phillyfunk) January 17, 2022
Me, a fully grown adult just now realizing that whenever my parents said "I'm Gumby dammit!" to each other they were just quoting Eddie Murphy on SNL: :O
Still, non-hardcore fans of SNL exist - and so do pre-hardcore fans who have not had a chance to learn about the show's extensive history. If you don't know that SNL has been on since 1975, Eddie Murphy and his contemporaries probably wouldn't even cross your radar when you were trying to think of an answer to this question.
There was, however, one cast member who overwhelmingly did, and she just crashed Ariana DuBose's monologue last night to sing songs from West Side Story with her.
Kate McKinnon was a very popular answer to this debate among younger viewers - and controversially, yes, even some older ones.
To be fair, she is an SNL powerhouse in her own right: She just celebrated her 200th credited episode on the show this weekend.
Congrats, Kate McKinnon!
Last night was her 200th credited episode on #SNL from when she started in season 37 in April 2012 pic.twitter.com/RkafQIcSOq— The Standby Line (@standbyline) January 16, 2022
She in no way beat out Eddie Murphy - this was so overwhelming an answer to the question that it broke through to be a trending topic on Twitter this morning. But it is a credit to her career and talent that the even came close.
If there's ever an SNL Hall of Fame (which, by the way, at this point, might be a pretty great idea, just put a little museum in 30 Rock somewhere), Eddie Murphy will definitely still be the GOAT, but Kate McKinnon will be in there front and center too.
